Farmers push for more Jersey Fresh funding, call out regulatory friction and barriers to agritourism

Farmers and value‑added producers used testimony before the Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee to press for stronger state marketing, more reliable cost‑share funding and less burdensome inspections.

John Probasco of Reckless Town Distillery and Hillary Burrell of Rabbit Hill Farms both urged more support for Jersey Fresh and state cost‑share grants to help small value‑added operations and local supply chains. Probasco said his distillery sources ‘‘upward of 85 percent’’ of spirits from his farm and uses Jersey Fresh hang tags to signal local sourcing. Burrell described malted‑grain sales that have grown 10–20 percent annually and recommended tax incentives or marketing help to sustain local sourcing by breweries and distillers.

Agritourism operator Gil of Johnson’s Corner Farm told the panel that inspection practices by the Department of Environmental Protection can feel adversarial and that inconsistent scheduling has been a persistent problem. He also said rising busing costs are reducing school field trips, which hurt agritourism education and revenue.

The committee also returned to a recurring topic: raw milk sales. A member asked how New Jersey compares to neighboring states; Secretary Wingren said New Jersey aligns with the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance and noted safety and testing requirements are the responsibility of the health commissioner, who currently does not permit raw milk sales under existing rules.

Lawmakers did not take votes but signaled interest in funding discussions, regulatory coordination with DEP and health officials, and site visits to farms and Rutgers research stations.